The Trump administration is exploring an unconventional approach to a decades-old territorial dispute: bypassing the United Kingdom entirely and purchasing the Chagos Islands directly from Mauritius to secure permanent control of the Diego Garcia military installation.
The proposal, first reported by the Telegraph, would allow the US to sidestep stalled negotiations between London and Port Louis over sovereignty. Under current plans, the UK has been attempting to hand over the territory to Mauritius, but those efforts ground to a halt in April when the US withdrew its support. The new strategy hinges on first making the islands sovereign, then negotiating a purchase with Mauritius as an independent nation.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent brought the proposal to Trump, though officials close to the matter indicated it remains one of several options under consideration and is not currently the frontrunner. The White House declined to comment on the plan when reached by the Guardian.
The strategic calculus behind the move is clear. Located roughly 2,360 miles from Iran in the central Indian Ocean, Diego Garcia hosts an airbase capable of supporting long-range US missile operations. The base has become increasingly active since the US-Israel conflict with Iran intensified in late February, with Iranian forces already launching multiple strikes against the installation.
Some Trump administration officials have expressed concerns about allowing Mauritius, an ally of China, to gain control of the territory. Those worries center on potential espionage risks and loss of American strategic leverage in a region critical to countering Iranian threats.
The military value of the installation extends beyond current operations. In March, the UK granted the US permission to launch missile strikes against Iranian facilities from Diego Garcia, a decision Trump later criticized as insufficiently timely. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded by warning British Prime Minister Keir Starmer that he was jeopardizing British lives by allowing the bases to be used for what Tehran characterized as aggression.
The purchase proposal reflects Trump's broader approach to securing American interests through unconventional means, attempting to resolve a longstanding dispute through direct financial negotiation rather than diplomatic channels.
Author James Rodriguez: "Buying a sovereign territory to lock down a military base would be audacious, but it shows how seriously the administration takes Diego Garcia's role in containing Iran."
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